Del Monte Commits to Cut Waste 75% by 2016

Del Monte Foods has formalized its environmental sustainability goals, which builds on the company’s sustainable agricultural practices and strategies at its manufacturing facilities to reduce the environmental impact at its cannery operations, and its supply chain to reduce its impact from the sourcing and distribution of goods.

Del Monte’s cross-functional leadership team led the effort to formalize the company’s commitment to environmental goals in three key areas — waste, greenhouse gas emissions and water. The company pledges to achieve or exceed these goals by 2016, using 2007 as the baseline.

In the area of waste reductions, Del Monte has worked to lower the amount of solid waste (per ton of finished product) going to landfill from its operations, and has committed to a 75 percent reduction. Since 2007, two of Del Monte’s locations — the Milk-Bone plant in Buffalo, New York, and the Del Monte Foods Distribution Center in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania — have become zero-landfill facilities.

Del Monte also commits to cut its packaging materials by 15 percent, and has implemented several packaging initiatives to support this effort.

The foods manufacturer also plans to cut GHG emissions per ton of finished product by 10 percent from the company’s manufacturing, warehousing and research & development facilities. So far, the company has reduced its GHG emissions per ton of finished product by approximately 2.5 percent, primarily thanks to a 1.9 megawatt solar panel system Del Monte installed at its Hanford and Kingsburg, Calif. processing plants in late 2008.

The company also pledges to reduce its total GHG emissions by 7 percent through improved efficiency in Del Monte’s transportation network. The company has reduced its transportation miles by approximately 29 million since 2007, which represents an approximate 6 percent reduction in GHG emissions.

Del Monte recently joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leaders program to help further reduce its GHG emissions.

Del Monte has committed to a 20 percent reduction in fresh water use per ton of finished product. Since 2007, the company has reduced fresh water consumption by approximately 9 percent and is on track to meet its 2016 goal.